VÍCTOR SALMERÓN
EL UNIVERSAL

With a goal to put an end to the so-called "unlawful" use of the US dollars each Venezuelan citizen is allowed to spend on a yearly basis during travels abroad, the chair of the Foreign Exchange Administration Board (Cadivi) Manuel Barroso launched an operation to monitor cash withdrawals of US dollars abroad, even though there is not a clear definition of the related offenses.

Firstly, some 30,000 travelers have to produce evidence of the way they spent the US dollars they purchased at the official exchange rate of VEB 2,150 per US dollar. Travelers will even have to account for the USD 500 they are allowed to withdraw from ATMs on a monthly basis. But what happens if the traveler did not spend all the money? What happens if travelers kept all of the money? Will they be forced to return the foreign currency? Will fines be imposed?

"When people travel, the foreign currency they buy is intended for expenses precisely, but it is quite possible that they have some money left, and that is normal," said Barroso.

He added, however, that they have detected "some deviations. For example, one person withdraws USD 500 on the 30th day of the month, and withdraws another USD 500 on the first day of the next month, and then goes back (to Venezuela) in the afternoon that day. This is perverse."

When asked if keeping a part of the foreign currency purchased for travels was a crime, Barroso replied that Cadivi, whenever it deems that the laws have been infringed, is forwarding the relevant documentation to "the General Direction of Inspection and Monitoring of the Ministry of Finance, which is the body with the capacity to impose sanctions."

The rule governing the use of foreign currency in travels abroad only establishes that "the user shall buy USD 500 a month for cash withdrawals in foreign currency, and he can obtain such amount of money only from ATMs abroad."

When asked about small consumptions in cash for which travelers are unlikely to produce evidence, Barroso explained that such expenses must be accounted for in the "rationale they must attach to the documentation" to be filed with Cadivi, so that the board determines whether they were sensible expenses.

Besides cash withdrawals of foreign currency, Venezuelans are allowed to buy USD 5,000 a year for travels abroad. This sum can only be spent with credit cards.

Up to December 6, consumptions with credit cards abroad amounted to USD 4.12 billion, or 90 percent higher than the amount of US dollars allocated for food imports.

Despair
On Monday, 1,600 people appeared in the headquarters of Cadivi in Caracas, as they could not access the body's official website to download an application form to buy US dollars to travel abroad.

"The website is out of service, and I need to travel to Miami next December 16, as I am a musician and I am going to give a concert. I am a hip-hop musician," said Mario Brito.

Mireya Márquez, who plans to travel to Panama, stood at the doors of Cadivi since Sunday at 9 p.m. At noon, on Monday, she was still waiting for answers.

In order to solve the problem, Cadivi set a new time schedule to access the website. Corporations are allowed to access the website from 8 am to 2 pm, while individuals may logon from 3 pm to 10 pm.

Barroso added they are installing a new Server, claiming that the operations of the website failed on an electric problem, which will be solved soon.

"We do not need people to come here, they may access the website now," he added.

Cadivi staff provided application forms to the people who needed to travel abroad for health reasons. In the cases of people willing to travel to Panama, Aruba, and Curacao, they demanded an air ticket for more than seven days.

According to Barroso, this limitation was implemented to cut the number of people to be provided application forms in the headquarters of Cadivi.

Translated by Maryflor Suárez R.
msuarez@eluniversal.com